This is my travel journal from my study abroad trip to the UK and France. The names of my teachers and classmates have been changed for privacy reasons.

DAY 4- May 23
               Classes began today. Did I mention what we're studying? We're studying international business, economics, and politics. My worst subjects! Why the heck did I want to go on this trip? Because I wanted to travel. My plan has succeeded. We've had to read a few books before classes started, and according to the schedule it looks like we'll be going out to do some fun things.

               So far, I'm not having that much trouble paying attention. One of the things we covered was socialism and why it's more acceptable in the UK than back home. In the US, conservatives are trying their hardest to make 'socialism' synonymous with 'worse than Hitler'. Basically, working and living conditions were so bad for so long that they had to fix it. This is why things like their health care are the way they are. (They think our health care system is barbaric, by the way. I'm not surprised.) And I know that sounds like a really clumsily summary, but I promise it sounds much better in my notes. I'm not going to retype my notes here, though.

               Well, I took today as a much-needed study day and spent the afternoon reading and getting some work done. That's why this journal entry is so short and boring. We've got a three-day weekend coming up, so we're all planning what we want to do.

               I kind of want to go to Ireland, but currently all flights have been grounded because of the volcano. Maybe I'll go to Inverness instead. I don't know, because I'm not sure how I relate to everyone in this class.
               I'm the only theatre person on this trip. (Except for Jacklyn and Linda, but they've got their own thing going on and I don't want to be a tag-along.) And I'm used to hanging out with theatre people. That, and I'm a very tactile person. If I am comfortable around you, expect to be hugged, kissed, and receive a lot of non-sexual touching. And I tend to become comfortable around others very quickly. I have to. I mean, a lot of times during auditions and rehearsals, it's like "Hi! Nice to meet you! On this line, I'll be kissing you/grabbing you/punching you in the face, so be ready!"

               And I'm comfortable around these people. I found out that Rebecca didn't like being touched, so I made a mental note to respect that boundary. Then I found out another girl didn't like it. Then I ended up getting yelled at on the bus for touching.

               "Don't tap me on the shoulder like that!"
               "I was trying to ask you a question!"
               "So say my name if you want my attention!"
               "But that's what I wanted to ask you!"

               So apparently nobody on this trip wants to be touched. I can follow that rule, but it just feels so unnatural for me. I don't feel connected to anybody. And to make things even more awkward, we're not supposed to go anywhere alone. That's understandable, seeing as we're in a strange place and all, but it sounds like it would get pretty annoying after a while. Also, I'm afraid that everyone else will go off and leave me behind. I know I have a tendency to want to do things alone, but I don't want to be by myself all the time!

               What really sucks is that once my classmates are out of my sight, I don't know when I'll see them again. None of our phones work and we have no way of contacting each other if we want to hang out. And apparently they don't do summer school over here, so there are no local students to make friends with.

               Well, on a more cheerful note, I freaking love the bus system. You can go practically anywhere in the city and you don't have to worry about other drivers, parking, or directions. It's not that hard to figure it out, and it's pretty easy to do. Why don't we have something like that in Texas? I mean, I know there's some public transportation in big cities like Austin, but they're not nearly this good.

               In my current town, we've got bus stops, but you rarely see a bus there. If there is one, it's usually just going from town to town, not street to street. I'm not even sure if we even have a bus station anymore. And if you want a taxi, you have to get on the phone and call for one to come pick you up and call them again to take you back.

               My freshman year, I met a few European exchange students and they told me how weird it was for them to have to drive themselves everywhere. Now I understand what they were talking about. They also said that they loved the exchange rate, as it meant things were cheaper for them in America. I have the exact opposite problem- everything costs twice as much!

               While I'm at it, I might as well describe what the dorm rooms look like. I'm not sure if these are really dormitories, seeing as this university seems to double as a conference center in the summer. It's longer than it is wide, there's a tiny bathroom next to the door, bed's on the right wall, the desk is bumping up against the left and window wall, and there's a wardrobe in the right corner. There's a small TV on the desk, right next to the window which gets what I assume is the British equivalent of basic cable. There's also some stuff for making tea, but the inside of the kettle looks rusted out, and I'm not sure if I trust it.

               And I still think it's weird that the window doesn't have a screen. Are all windows here screen-less? Or does it not get hot enough here for bugs? Every time I open it, I'm afraid I'm going to fall out.